Jim Murphy and Anthony Macaluso recently participated in panel discussions focusing on family business transitions and exit planning preparation.

The local Fairfield County business community has many active organizations dedicated to middle market business activities, and we recently had the privilege to participate on two lively panel discussions focused on core competencies of Belden Hill Partners.

Jim Murphy served as a panelist for KeyBank’s 2018 Business Owners Symposium Series focused on “Preparing for the Exit”. The discussion panel featured family owners that successfully exited their businesses, alongside advisors that provide guidance during the critical preparation process for a potential transaction. Jim was joined on the panel by William Bassett, former owner of W.E. Bassett Co., Chip Flanagan, former owner of Flanagan Industries, and Keith Michaelson, a family business consultant with The Lovins Group. The discussion focused on the key role that proper planning plays in the designing of a successful family business liquidity event. There are many factors to consider when exiting a business, such as determining the exit goals of the family shareholders, building an effective advisory team, and thoroughly understanding the options and alternatives that are available for obtaining liquidity. Belden Hill Partners has significant experience navigating these challenging issues, as BHP’s Consulting service helps family business owners address issues ranging from succession planning and governance best practices to balancing growth capital needs and shareholder liquidity desires.

Belden Hill Partners has been a long-term member of the Fairfield Country Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) and at a recent monthly meeting, Anthony Macaluso participated on the panel “Tricks of the Trade from Investment Bankers: Overcoming Obstacles in the M&A Process”. Despite robust exit planning and preparation, obstacles and pitfalls are inevitable in the transaction process, and the panel focused on best practices for addressing these “unknowables” and crafting solutions requiring creativity, flexibility, and collaboration amongst all parties in a transaction. Key issues discussed included addressing differing shareholder objectives, negotiating strategies for common valuation and transaction structuring topics, and navigating the potential pitfalls involved in the due diligence process. While each transaction has unique characteristics, Belden Hill Partners is regularly in the market with capital raising and M&A assignments, advising family and closely held businesses on these very topics. We make it our business to know the capabilities and investment preferences of “family-friendly” capital providers in the market and to know which firms are providing the most attractive proposals – ranging from senior debt providers to common equity investors to strategic acquirers.